The Princess Bride
by Kouou03
Summary: Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles." Souta and his grandfather find an old text in the shrine and start to read this story...that might be about their own Kagome and Inuyasha! Could it be? PG but it
1. Prologue

**The Princess Bride**

**By Kouou03**

**Prologue**

A woman walked into her living room in search of her young son. She had been all through the house and surrounding grounds, looking in the kitchen, his bedroom, the yard, and a myriad of other such places in search of the boy. And here he was, in the center of the house, eyes glassy and glued to the TV screen, thumbs moving at lightening speed across the controller.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you," she leaned against the door and looked at him, hand on her hip. He paused the game and put his Playstation controller away, then looked up at her curiously.

"Yah, mom?"

"Your grandfather wants to see you. He said he found something 'interesting' he thought you might like."

"What is it?"

"He wouldn't tell me. Apparently it was some special thing just for you."

"Probably some partially decapitated fake demon. I might as well go see, though."

The boy put away the Playstation and game and headed out of the house down to the shrine where his grandfather was. His mother smiled sadly after him. The boy was alone during these dreary summer months. All his friends were on vacation and boredom had become his only companion. And maybe the Playstation. There was little she or her own father could do for him except try to encourage him to keep moving on. '_If only she was here_'

* * *

"Hey gramps, what's up?" The ten-year-old boy peeked around the corner at his grandfather. The old man was grinning excitedly and attempting to shield something from the boy's vision.

"Ah, Souta, I found something that might interest you!"

"It's not dead, is it?"

"No, no, of course not, you silly boy! Come closer! I promise you'll like it!"

"...okay, but if it's dead, I'm leaving."

"Just come here!"

He approached his grandfather warily, not sure what this "interesting" thing might be. When he was able to see the object, he found that it was not something long dead, mummified, or in anyway disgusting. It turned out to be a very old text, though he couldn't quite read it.

"You see, very interesting, isn't it?"

"I guess so...what is it?"

"What is it?! This is a very ancient legend!!! And, I think you'll find it particularly interesting."

"Why's that, gramps?"

The old man pushed him up towards the text, urging him to, "Read the front, Souta! Just read it and you'll understand!!!"

Souta bent over the page and began to read.

"_The Princess Bride. A story of fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles. A most beautiful romance, intense tragedy, and peculiar comedy about the love of Inuyasha and Kagome._"

"INUYASHA AND KAGOME!!!"

"Yes! Now you see, don't you?"

"What's it about? What happens? Is it really them?"

"Well, why don't we read it and find out?"

They turned to the first page and began to read the story that might have been about Kagome Higurashi, Souta's sister, the girl who left them for a hanyou lover from 500 years in the past.

"_No one really knew where Kagome came from, but they all understood that she was beautiful, that she lived with an old woman named Kaede on a small farm, and that she desired little more than to ride her horse and tease the young farm boy who worked for them. She never remembered his name, choosing to call him 'Farm boy' whenever she addressed him and ordered him about._"

"Isn't that a wonderful beginning!" the old man cried out excitedly. Souta was slightly less impressed.

"Is this seriously Kagome? It sure doesn't sound like her."

"Well, why don't we read on and find out?"

And they bent back over the book to devour the story.

* * *

A Beginning Note/Disclaimer:

This is a crossover fanfiction based on William Goldman's The Princess Bride. It is not, however, a copy of the story with Inuyasha characters inserted in place of the originals. This is mostly the original version, but I'm adapting it into a mostly original. There will be many similarities to The Princess Bride but also many differences. Please note, this is not plagiarism, and I am not directly copying the book or movie script. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please email or contact me somehow. I DO NOT WANT THIS FIC KICKED OFF !!!! Thankies!!!

My email is on my profile page. (sorry, but hates putting links on story pages)


	2. Text Chapter One: As You Wish

The Princess Bride

By Kouou03

**Chapter One**

"As you wish."

Kagome galloped through the fields, worshipping the feel of wind rushing through her loose hair. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes brilliant as she exhilarated in the feeling of riding. It felt more like flying to her, really.

"Hey, girl!'

She smiled mischievously as a pair of youths rode up to join her. So some of the village boys wanted to race her again, did they?

"Yah?"

"You think you're faster than us, huh? Too good for us, eh?"

"Maybe."

"You only won last time because we let you. We're going all out this time!"

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind while I wait for you at the courthouse!" Without warning, she urged her horse into an even swifter gait, leaving the two boys far behind. They were quick on the uptake, however, and soon she could hear hooves pounding heavily behind her. Bending lower over the mare's neck, Kagome flipped her hair back and concentrated on acceleration. They'd never catch up.

Maybe not those two…but a whole pack of the village boys rode out from behind a barn and fell into step with the other three horses. Their mounts were fresh and they were all good riders. Kagome groaned and tried in vain to go faster. They wouldn't beat her, they just couldn't. They were only boys, after all. Stupid boys. They'd never beat her in a million years…

"Not so sharp, are you girl?" They were level…ahead. Turns out the million years weren't necessary…they only needed a few moments. The pack passed the courthouse at high speed and the riders brought their reins up to slow their horses. Kagome straightened her back and raised her nose in the air. Loss or not, she still had her dignity, and she knew she was still better than them. As she trotted away, cat calls followed her, and she could see adults shaking their heads sadly out of the corner of her eyes.

She rode back to the small farm where she lived, anger starting to take over. She'd always been the best at horseback; that was her way of life. Forget beauty and manners, she needed nothing more than a horse and a saddle and miles of open road to stay happy.

As her mare turned into the stable, Kagome's bad mood escalated. She'd regain her title if it was the last thing she did. Dismounting, still angry, she looked around for a way to relieve herself of her anger. Her eyes rested on a perfect target and she replaced the smirk on her face with a look of haughty disdain as she paraded up to the one person she would always feel superior to. "Farm boy!" she called.

He looked up at her, golden eyes shining with the strange same emotion they always held when he saw her. He inclined his head respectfully as she eyed him distastefully.

"Farm boy, groom my mare and polish my saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning."

He bowed his head again, holding her eyes with his own. "As you wish."

The conversation was not at all unusual for the two of them. She treated his as a servant, addressing him only as 'Farm boy' and commanding him to perform various tasks. He had served Kaede for longer than Kagome had lived with her, but Kagome considered him her inferior and never bothered to even learn his real name. However, no matter what he was told to do, he would always look at her with a slight smile and eyes that held a foreign, unrecognizable expression and reply "As you wish." It was all he ever said to her.

Kagome strode to the house she shared with Kaede, her godmother. It was a humble home, like the humble farm, but plentiful for their needs. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a sitting room, and a lavatory just outside were all they needed. Farm boy slept in the loft of the barn, and the three of them were perfectly capable of tending to everyday activities. She smiled as she entered the house. Life was simple, but it was all she knew and she loved it. But sometimes, she would find herself dreaming about far off places and mysterious people, sometimes she couldn't help her thoughts from straying off the small dairy farm.

"Back already, Kagome?"

"Yes…. My ride was cut off by those stupid boys again."

"Now, Kagome, surely they don't have any affect on your fun?"

A half-hearted glare was shot across the room at the old woman, annoyance seeping off of every bit of the girl.

"They're such fools…always trying to beat me. They even had new tricks today."

"Kagome, Kagome, surely ye believe it is high time ye acted a little more mature? There's more to life than riding, ye well know."

The girl strode to the window and gazed out of it, as if searching for something floating with the clouds and twirling about the remaining rays of a tired red sun. It was something fantastic, something wonderful, something she'd never experienced before. Most especially, she wanted something new. So new, she didn't even know what it was.

"Kagome?"

"I'm sorry Kaede. But until I find something better, this is what I love and I'll stick with it. Besides, things change, don't they?" she smiled, her bright eyes a deep gray blue and shining with an innocent light.

"Ay, I suppose ye shall do as ye please. Just mind that ye do not neglect thy studies and thy chores."

"I promise."

With that the girl disappeared into the kitchen and began to cook supper.

----------

It was Midsummer when things began to change for Kagome and Kaede and their little farm. Even 'Farmboy' experienced some changes. The cows on their farm were enjoying the fresh green grass that endured the hot months, resulting in unexpectedly higher milk production. Though this meant a good year's worth of business in a quarter the time, it also meant all three had to work much harder than they were used to.

Farm boy carried on his duties feeding and tending the cows as ever, with the additional labor of carting all the dairy products to the cart and then to market. Kaede stayed in the house, overexposure to the hot sun was too much for her old bones to take, she said. Instead, she stayed on the porch or in the kitchen, churning butter and cleaning the milk, chatting with Kagome whenever she had a moment. The girl was just as busy as the both of them, perhaps more so. Her duty was to milk the cows. There weren't many, only fourteen or so, but milking took time and careful work. And it was boring.

Kagome sat on her milking stool beside a cow whose name she didn't know. Farm boy had christened them all in his own fashion, but they were just patches of black and white splotches to her, waiting patiently to be milked as they chewed their cud.

There was nothing of interest in front of her, so while she milked, Kagome looked around the farm and daydreamed. Cows were dreadfully dull as far as she could see, so she preferred the company of awesome fantasies. They were wonderful dreams too, even if she did say so herself. Some days she was locked in a horrible dungeon by a cruel lord, who forced her to slave away as a common drudge until a handsome, kind, intelligent, courageous prince saved her and defeated the lord with his cunning and thick arms of iron, which controlled the sharp weapons of steel. On other days she was an adventurer herself, a pirate or a warrior woman, parading through towns and smiling haughtily as she watched the people scatter or recoil in fear or hatred. But some days, when no beautiful adventures would come to her, she just sat and watched the trees and the sky as she heard milk splat into the pail as a backdrop. And sometimes she watched Farm boy.

It was one of those days, a bright Thursday morning just as hot as everyday before and after it, just another mundane day of work that meant nothing special to anyone at all, really. Or at least, not until Kagome looked, really looked, at Farm boy. It was an accident, unintentional and unexpected, but when she turned her gaze on him, she saw something that changed her life forever.

He was working hard as ever, slaving away in the sun. But for the first time she saw just how bright his silver hair was, hanging down his back and over his molten gold eyes. Then she was trapped, and she couldn't help looking further. His features were beautiful in a masculine way, boyish but attractive, and two white-silver ears stuck out of his hair on top of his head, pointy like a dog's. His skin was tanned deeply, bronze and slightly golden. He wore a pair of sturdy, worn leather boots that must have been extremely hot and tannish beige pants that were stained with dirt and sweat. His gray shirt was tied around his hips, slung slightly lower than the top of his pants, leaving his torso bare in all its muscular glory.

It was when she began to overheat and fluster that Kagome noticed that her hands had fallen slack and milk was dropping into the pail no longer. She was utterly shell-shocked, taken aback by her realization. '_He's beautiful…_' How had she never noticed before? '_I wonder – _'

Her thoughts stopped short as he looked straight into her eyes from where he was working. A satisfied twinkle in his eyes assured her that her half-realized fears had come true: he had caught her staring at him.

Feeling a rush of heat slide into her face, she knew absolutely that she was flushing bright crimson. But he didn't need to know that. She turned her face to the cow and the full pail, composing herself. Finally, she stood and stepped a few paces away from her stool. A haughty look was set on her face; her cheeks were still slightly pink though. "Farm boy, hurry and give that pail to Kaede!" she commanded more sharply than usual. Her discomfort left had left her nervous and unsure how to act. "And while you're at the house, fetch me a cup of water, I'm thirsty."

His eyes were boring into her, mild though they were.

"…please." She was so mightily confused.

"As you wish." He stooped over to pick up the pail and then strode away as if nothing unusual had happened. She watched him retreat for a moment or two, his back glistening in the sun, and then she blushed again and tore her eyes away.

Her desire for something new had in no way prepared her for her recent experiences. It was unlikely, impossible, horrible…but wonderful all the same. She smiled lightly as she picked up the beaten wood stool and wandered to the next cow. Maybe she should learn its name, all the names of all the cows. Farm boy's name…

'_Maybe there's something to this feeling..._'

Maybe she should learn more about him. What he did in the spare moments when he wasn't working, his favorite color, maybe. She sat down and began to milk, a bemused expression over her features. The wind whispered something at her, but it was gone before she could fully register the haunting memory.

_As you wish…_

_-----------_

A/N: Well, that was a little different than the first chapter. If anyone is reading this after reading the prologue when this story was first posted, I apologize for my extreme slowness. I'm just a bad updater, though I try to end my bad habits. Anyway, I wove in and out of the book and movie and my own imagination in this chapter, which is probably the way the whole story will run. The next chapter is an interlude during which we hear from Jii-san and Souta again. There'll be a few more, but then I'm just going to let this "ancient text" take over. 'Til then, thanks for reading (I'll love you even more if you review)!

- Kouou03

Disclaimer: Since I forgot this at the top, I'll just add it here. I own neither books nor movies also called The Princess Bride. However, similarities are intentional, and the liberties I've taken with characters and plot are entirely my own.


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